General Manager's Newsletter | August 2021

WPM bids farewell to a dear friend and mourns the passing of ’s beloved U.S. Senator Mike Enzi. Senator Enzi was a champion for Wyoming, and a champion for her public media. He recorded a wonderful testimonial for Wyoming Public Media, which we often aired throughout the years. Truth be told, Mike Enzi wasn’t always enamored of everything he found on our airwaves, and occasionally I heard about it. But he was very astute to differentiate between the public and community service Wyoming Public Media provides directly to Wyomingites, and the product of national providers like NPR and American Public Media which serve broader national publics. He liked those strong Wyoming connections and sentiments! We will truly miss him and his quiet, sensible and pragmatic leadership. WPM staff will dedicate the broadcast day on August 6 to Senator Enzi’s memory.

Here and Now welcomes a new host. Scott Tong starts Monday August 9, while WPM alum Peter O’Dowd returns to his role as senior editor. Scott logged 16 years at Marketplace. He was the China bureau chief in Shanghai from 2006 until 2010. Since then, he’s been a senior correspondent and has reported from more than a dozen countries — from refugee camps in East Africa to shoe factories in eastern China. As part of Marketplace’s Sustainability desk he has covered the global economy, energy and the environment — and done stories on everything from hacking and fracking, to climate and water, Hollywood in China, Huawei, driverless cars and tech spying.

Public media tracks many metrics, but one question rarely asked is “what is the most effective media?” In a recent Infinite Dial’s Share of Ear survey, an unusual reason for often undetected listener motivation grabbed the number 2 position for the question of why people listen. And that reason is something we in public radio know only too well – connectivity. People choose radio as their companion because unlike other media like streaming, owned music, and podcasts, the immediacy and live nature of radio creates a connection between the host and the listener. Looks like our slogan “connecting Wyoming" is right on many levels!

The Mountain West News Bureau welcomes a new managing editor. Dave Rosenthal served as managing editor for a number of regional news centers, and has worked with the Baltimore Sun. He is an award-winning journalist and looks forward to working with our team of reporters. Dave replaced Kate Concannon, who served as the first managing editor of this regional collaboration. You might also catch the Bureau’s Amanda Peacher on Marketplace during Morning Edition. The Mountain West News Bureau is funded through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and serves as a major source of regional stories for Wyoming.

I bring a special story to your attention. It’s a fun story about UW students who are exploring getting humans to Mars. It also highlights UW’s successful Wyoming EPSCoR program. Funded by the National Science Foundation, EPSCoR supports researchers, students, and institutions in Wyoming by building an education infrastructure and facilitating interactions with STEM. And finally – it highlights our EPSCoR-funded reporter – Adlynn Jamaludin. Adlynn comes from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and is currently pursuing her M.A in Communication at the . She has experienced public relations, advertising, marketing, print media, and now she is broadcasting with Wyoming Public Media. The story about getting humans to Mars was something she couldn’t pass up!

Along the lines of our staff successes, be sure to check out the entire nine- part Carbon Valley podcast series, which raises a number of questions about our State’s extraction industry and its future. Told in a compelling narrative, it leaves you with a feeling of triumph and sadness, and reflects on coming global transitions. One listener wrote: “I think bout this all the time in regards to my small, rural hometown, what will they do when their one industry is no longer serving as the largest employer and (source of) tax revenue?” You can find Carbon Valley here.

Thank you to the many individuals and organizations who participated in WyoGives in July. The statewide event helped generate funds and awareness for Wyoming’s nonprofits. We were proud to play the role of a sponsor for this event, and to enable other organizations to prosper in their specific missions of serving the state.

Your support for WPM is heartening, and it’s vital for our operation. Thank you for your generosity to WPM and for listening!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments at [email protected].

Christina Kuzmych

WPM General Manager

Enter the 2021 Wyoming Public Media Photo Contest! You may post your Wyoming photos through August 20 for a chance to win prizes and have your snapshot featured on the Wyoming Public Media website, social media, note cards, and other media for the station. Merely type in your picture's caption, your name and e-mail address, and each photo's category: 1. Wyoming's Nature; 2. Wyoming's People; 3. Wyoming's History. Read the WPM Photo Contest rules and instructions here.

HumaNature Podcast Kudos "One day I found HumaNature. I listened to the first episode while stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on I95 outside of Boston. It was a metaphorical breath of fresh air in that hot, emission-filled moment. I was hooked. Over time, HumaNature has become one of my life lines back to a time, place, and persons that I cherish. My hope is that HumaNature continues to create episodes and be on air. It's essential." Julie Morris 07/21/2021

"Really, really good" Modern West Podcast "Stumbled into this while looking for podcasts about the American West. It's a very interesting show with a thoughtful examination of what it means to live outside the cities. The subject matter covers a lot of ground, and gins up curiosity around subjects you've never considered. I like that there's no agenda-chasing here; the host comes across as honest and personable. This is one I enjoy listening too while walking my dog through the open spaces near my home." TyCobb25, 07/06/2021

Wyoming Public Media’s Podcast Captures a Unique Wyoming Competition KUWR’s podcast Carbon Valley follows one of Wyoming’s efforts to become a hub for carbon capture technology. The competition pits five international startups against each other, competing to scale up new technology capable of transforming carbon dioxide from a coal plant into a commercial product and turning fossil fuels into a 21st century energy source. Scoop from NPR Member Partnership | July 14, 2021

Wyoming Public Radio & Wyoming Sounds Live Broadcast From CFD WPM and Wyoming Sounds returned to Cheyenne Frontier Days, offering live broadcasts July 29th and July 30th with interviews and music from Wyoming's Jon Gardzelewski and Kellen Smith. Among the interviewees was Northern Arapaho tribe member, teacher and storyteller, Sandy Iron Cloud from Ethete, who spoke of the long history of the Native American Indian Village at Frontier Days dating back to the 1800’s and the importance of native culture that has stayed alive through song and dance.

Wind River Farmers Market Reopens After Pandemic Forces Pause National Native News aired a story by Signa McAdams about farmers markets reopening on the Wind River Reservation. The feature aired on June 3, 2021.

Former U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi Remembered For Political Career, Bipartisanship National Public Radio aired a spot by Catherine Wheeler about former Senator Mike Enzi who died surrounded by family on Monday, Jul. 26, 2021, following a bicycle accident near his home. The story aired July 30, 2021.

Wyoming Public Media Is Running Out Of Room On Its Award Wall Wyoming Public Media won four Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA) national awards in June. In May was awarded by the Radio Television Digital News Association three Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards. Listen to the award-winning stories linked to our press releases.

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